We are in the midst of hurricane season (June 1-December 1). And we just had a close call with a category 4... way too close for my comfort, thank goodness for the wobble.

Because I have hurricanes on the brain, I thought I'd share some preparation tips and thoughts for you. Maybe something here will come in handy for the next time.

Shop Wisely

Sandwiches, fresh fruit that could hang out on the counter, hot dogs for the grill, and don't forget the paper plates!

We try to always have several cases of water at the house. But, when a storm is in view, I like to grab an extra or two. And I get a couple gallon jugs too.

In 2004, our section of Florida got hit repeatedly by storms and I realized what a commodity milk is. It took at least a month for milk to reappear in the store coolers. This time I made sure to have two extra gallons on hand.

It is impossible to know how long the power will be out when a hurricane (or tropical storm) rolls through. So, make sure you are stocking your kitchen with items that do not need to be cooked.... or things that can be cooked on the grill. I made sure the freezer in the garage was full of meat (we could thaw and grill chicken, burgers, hot dogs, even steak). I also ordered a lot of lunch meat. The plan was to keep the lunch meat in a cooler, with the bread and condiments. Remember, it's best to keep the fridge and freezer doors closed as much as possible when the power is out. A cooler is excellent for things you want to grab multiple times.

This was Tuesday morning at 8am.... The hurricane wasn't set to arrive until very late on Thursday, early Friday morning.

​Have Stuff to Do

Remember: The power WILL go out. Even if you have a generator, the cable and internet will probably cease to function at some point. And depending on the severity of the storm, flooding or area damage may keep you at home for several days. It's important to have things to do.

Especially if you have children. Seriously.

If they are anything like mine, they get "bored" easily. We made sure to get new games and puzzles before the storm came.

Protect Your Property

I'm sure this seems like a no brainer, but make sure you do it. Most HOAs have rules about when you need to board up. Make sure to bring in ALL outside furniture. Anything that can fly around, will.

Since we were expecting a 4, we strapped down our AC units too. All of our windows were covered. The patio furniture was stacked Tetris-style in our pool bathroom.

​Be Kind... NOT This Guy

As I said in the point above, bring in your stuff from outside. Nothing loose should be outdoors. This is not the time to rid yourself of your hideous furniture.., this is the time to keep people safe. Your crappy stuff will fly around and cause more damage than is necessary to people who don't deserve it.

Notice the windows are boarded up... A friend took this picture after he secured his house. He went for a drive before weather conditions turned sour, and then he came across this. Uncool dude. Uncool.